Debra VanDeventer, Author at Seams Like a Story

June 23, 2025June 23, 2025

il Dolce Far Niente

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing

It’s that time of year in Arizona. Triple-digit temperatures force me to take my walks at a ridiculously early hour and schedule errands for the morning. I slather on sunscreen, wear a hat, guzzle water. The ‘dog days of summer’ drain my energy and force me inside for a good part of the day. I feel like doing nothing. Blah.

This goes against my nature. I like to stay busy. I’m a ‘producer’, one who makes things…you know: sew a garment, write a story, create a blog post. I’m schedule and routine oriented and not particularly good at “doing nothing.” So now what? The weather is out of my control. Maybe I need to change my attitude. The Italians have a saying:

il dolce far niente

In English it means “the sweetness of doing nothing,” but it sounds way better when you say it in Italian. Try it: eel dough-chay far nee-in-tay. Isn’t that beautiful?! Now say it with an Italian flair. Bonus points if you come up with hand gestures to go with it.

Il dolce far niente isn’t about laziness, but rather it refers to enjoying relaxing moments without a specific purpose or goal, finding contentment in simple activities, slowing down to appreciate the small joys in life. Though not a new idea, the term has been popular in social media circles lately, perhaps as a result of our increasingly fast-paced, crisis-mode-world we find ourselves in these days.

Benefits of il dolce far niente include:

reduced stress and anxiety
enhanced creativity
improved mental clarity
deeper self-awareness
new perspectives

Who wouldn’t want this,

But how?

The planner in me wants to immediately make a list, schedule times to relax, research activities (actually, that’s what I did when composing this post). But stop! Doesn’t doing something so I can start doing nothing kinda go against the philosophy here?

Maybe the place for me to start is to shift my mindset around productivity, taking moments in my day to daydream, breathe, pick up the guitar I haven’t used in decades and strum a few chords, enjoy that cup of tea without rushing on to the next item on my “to do” list.

And as for my writing life:

I’m working on finishing the rough draft of my next story and, of course the producer in me wants to see this through the editing, revisions, formatting, publishing. It’s a lot. Yet perhaps, the best thing I can do for my writing is to step away from it from time to time for some dolce far niente moments.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to click “publish” and and do nothing, nothing at all. Sweet.

Threads of Thought

Your turn! Stop, step away from your computer or phone.

Now do nothing…. ahhhh….

By the way, reading is a great way to have a dolce far niente moment. Try one of these! Available in paperback, eBook, and Kindle Unlimited.

2 Books, Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life...and Until Italy: A traveler's memoir

June 9, 2025June 9, 2025

On Eagle Bay

It was autumn of 1999 when I first met Eagle Bay. My father walked out on the deck and looked at the brilliant Indiana foliage surrounding the water.”You can look all you want, but this is the place,” he said to my mother. Soon after, my parents purchased the small condo overlooking Lake Monroe. It was to be their retirement/vacation home.

After Dad died and Mom could no longer care for the property, she deeded it to my siblings and I. Throughout the years, it has been a gathering place for my parent’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Each season brings its own unique personality. Memories are made.

When autumn foliage fades and drops, stark white sycamore trees reflect on icy water. Ed and I arrive from Arizona. I get the tabletop Christmas tree out of the closet and set it up in the corner of the dining room to celebrate the holidays here with our children and grandchildren. We take steaming mugs of coffee and hot chocolate out on the deck hoping to glimpse the eagle family nesting across the bay. We fill the birdfeeder and watch cardinals, bluejays, chickadees, and nuthatches feast. The new year comes and we toast with champagne before heading back to our respective homes.

In spring, gentle rains come and trees explode with baby green leaves. Deer saunter around the community, thinking the carpet of lush grass is a banquet set out just for them. The weather is fickle this time of year. Suddenly the sky darkens and fierce winds whip whitecaps on the water. Tornado sirens wail, the lights flicker, then the power goes out, but we’re safe.

Memorial Day weekend signals summer on the lake and pontoon boats fill the bay. Music blares as partygoers drop anchor and settle in for an afternoon of swimming and sunbathing. The leaves on the trees are so thick they almost block the bay from view. I take a glass of iced tea out and settle on the porch swing. We’ll fire up the grill for brats and burgers and later pour a glass of wine to watch the sunset. At dusk, the trees sparkle with fireflies, and on a clear night, a full moon sends a ripple of light across the bay.

Season after season, twenty-five years pass by. Children grow up, move away, start families of their own. Priorities shift, maintenance issues arise, cross-country travel becomes more difficult, and visits to Eagle Bay become fewer.

It’s time. We were blessed with this gift from my parents for a long time, now we release it with gratitude.

I walk out on the deck for one last picture only to find the bay has hidden itself behind a thick curtain of morning fog. I smile at its closing act. Like the fade-out scene of a really good movie, I’m left with warm feelings. I realize now, it’s not about the rooms, the porch, the water. Those were the backdrop, the setting for the love we shared and the memories we made here.

This, this is what I pack up, all of it. I lock the door then, taking Eagle Bay with me.

Threads of Thought

Leaving a home, can be difficult. I’ll be honest, I’m still struggling a bit with this one. But, I’m choosing to focus on the future and what’s best for all. Who knows what new possibilities await for me, my family, and Eagle Bay?

What have you experienced when leaving a place you’ve called home? What advice would you give to others facing this?

“Moments bloom into words”

As a writer, I use words to help me process feelings and situations I find myself in. In OUT OF THE CRAYON BOX, I explore the emotions I experienced when leaving the teaching profession after a long career in education. UNTIL ITALY will take you along with me on a humourous, introspective trip to Italy!

You can find my books here

May 19, 2025May 18, 2025

Creativity or Skill? It Takes Both.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to visit Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It’s a breathtaking masterpiece of architecture the likes of which the world has never seen. A true work of art. So how does art come to life? Creativity to be sure. A flash of inspiration, a connection to your muse, a fearlessness to try something new and fresh. But there needs to be more. In reading Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit, I came across this quote:

If art is the bridge between what you see in your mind and what the world sees, then skill is how you build that bridge.

It’s interesting that Tharp uses the analogy of building a bridge. Besides creativity, Gaudi needed skills to make the outrageous ideas in his head come to life in the form architecture: knowledge of engineering, materials, drafting plans. When creativity and skill rub up against each other, magic happens.

I’m not an architect, but I thought about how this idea applies to my creative endeavors. When I begin a sewing project, my creative self picks out fabric and patterns, imagining how the finished garment will look and where I will wear it. Sometimes I will even go off the grid and modify a pattern or come up with a new one. But it takes skill to bring this garment to life. Basic sewing and construction skills certainly, but more than that. To take my sewing to the next level, I need to keep improving and learning new techniques.

My mother taught me to sew , and my foundational skills have served me well. But lately I haven’t been satisfied with my finished projects. I friend sent me a link to a video about perfecting the finishing details that take a garment from looking “homemade” to looking professional: interfacing, fabric choices, pre-washing, pressing techniques, different types of seams. Practicing, taking time to learn new things can get me to the next level.

Same with writing. It starts with creativity. A idea, an inspiration comes to my mind, the muse visits and I fly to the computer to capture the words. That’s the fun part. But I need skill to take it to the next level, revisions, editing, rewriting, then finally, publishing. As a self-published author I need to know or learn how to format a book, design a cover, and market creatively. According to Tharp:

In order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative.

By that she means developing a habit of practice and skill building. Make a commitment to the art. Give it the time it needs to develop each day. Participate with other writers in writing groups and forums. Write a lot. Read a lot. It takes work.

So why? Why do it? Here’s a favorite quote from author Elizabeth Gilbert:

I thank creativity for allowing me to engage with it at all. Because it’s all pretty amazing–what we get to do.

That’s why.

the smiling author in front of her desk — Author at Work

Writer in progress: learning more about my craft, and myself, with each project. Check it out! You can find my books here!

Threads of Thought

Your turn. What creative endeavors do you enjoy? What skills do you have to support your creative work. Are there skills would you like to work on?

May 5, 2025May 4, 2025

Graduated

a blue napkin with the words "Congrats Grad!"

You may know me here as Debra VanDeventer, author, blogger, traveler, and sewist. But before all that, I was a teacher for 37 years. This week, I attended a ceremony at Manzanita Elementary in Tucson, where I spent my final three years as a teacher. The students I had as fourth graders are graduating from high school this year!

The entire elementary school body, students and teachers and former teachers lined the hallway to greet the graduates. While waiting for the bus from the high school, energetic staff members entertained their young students with showers of bubbles and upbeat music. These teachers looked incredibly young to me. I had to remind myself that I was 21 when I began teaching.

Eventually the blue capped and gowned graduates appeared and promenaded the hallway, high-fiving students and teachers as they made their way to the auditorium. I had a copy of my class picture from that year tried to see if I could recognize any of my students, but of course I could not. My fourth graders were young adults now. When we gathered in the auditorium and sang the school song, they remembered the words. I choked back tears.

the sign for Manzanita Elementary School in Tucson

At the reception in the library, I had a chance greet several of my students, and close up, I recognized them in a smile, or the eyes, or the spark of enthusiasm as they told of their plans for the future. We’d spent 180 days together in a classroom just down the hall. I was honored to have been a small part of their journey. Soon they’d be graduated: passing from one stage of experience to the next.

I miss it sometimes. Being a part of something bigger than myself, the energy, the excitement, the possibilities each new year brought . I did not take my position lightly, and my years as a teacher defined a major part of my life. Yet, it occurs to my that I’ve graduated as well. Like my former fourth graders, I’ve taken all the learning and experiences that have made up my life to this point and moved to the next stage.

You may know me here as Debra VanDeventer, author blogger, traveler, and sewist. But before that, I was honored and proud to be Mrs. VanDeventer, teacher.

The author blowing bubbles to celebrate her last day of teaching — My Last Day of Teaching

Threads of Thought

It’s that time of year. Do you have a graduate in your family this year?

What graduation memories do you have?

To read more, you can find my books , OUT OF THE CRAYON BOX: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement and Life, and UNTIL ITLAY: A Traveler’s Memoir on my author’s page! Click here!

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

Lessons From a Palo Verde Tree

Palo Verde trees line the street in my neighborhood.

In Arizona’s version of the Cherry Blossom explosion in Washington, DC, palo verde trees make a spectacular display along roadways, neighborhoods, and desert trails each spring. In my quest for joy one recent morning, I had only to go for a walk around my neighborhood. The golden glow was a boost to my spirit and after my morning cup of tea and contemplations, here’s what I learned:

Stand Proud

Arizona designated the palo verde as its State tree in 1954. At the time, the legislature did not distinguish between the different species of palo verde, but some sources claim the blue palo verde to be the official tree.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

LIfe in the desert is tough. Palo verde trees have evolved to survive in this harsh environment. They derive their name from the Spanish “geen stick” because they have green bark. This unique adaptation allows them to continue photosynthesis even when they shed their leaves after the rainy season to conserve water during extensive dry spells. They produce vibrant yellow flowers in clusters, followed by bean-like seed pods.

Provide Support

Palo verde trees often serve as nurse plants for young saguaro cacti, providing shade and protection. Saguaros can live to be over 100 years old and will eventually outlive their nurse, but they have a better chance of surviving with this support during their early years.

Beautiful individuals, Powerful together

I held a tiny blossom in my hand. It was perfectly formed and uniquely designed for it’s role in the life of the tree. Amazing in it’s own right. But joining with the thousands of blossoms on one tree, then millions of blossoms on the trees along the street, and then a desert full of palo verde blossoms, they form a breathtaking, beautiful, powerful impact.

Threads of Thought

Where are you finding joy these days? Seek it out, then tell about it. Together, we make a powerful impact.

I love to find stories and share them with you! Click here to find my books, OUT OF THE CRAYON BOX: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life, and UNTIL ITLAY : a Traveler’s Memoir.